WILL SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CONFISCATE WASHINGTON's ASSUMED NCAA BID?

WEEK 9 | WRAP-UP

HERE COME THE TROJANS!

WAZZU'S UPSET OF WASHINGTON JUST MADE THINGS INTERESTING

The 'SC Question'

SC's HOT run has raised the possibility, remote as it may be, of Trojans earning an at-large NCAA Tourney Bid.

Much work left for Trojans, yet a well-deserved, second look at SC's 2010-2011 Resume should serve as eye-opening reminder to NCAA-Committee Members of SC's viability. 

The Trojans continued their unlikely rise from a the muddled PAC-10 logjam/scrapheap of 8-Loss, mediocre Conference Teams w/a weekend sweep of Arizona Schools.  

SC's gain may conceivably lead to Washington's demise. 

The Dawgs are just 35 Days removed from 'Tourney-Lock' Status.  January 24, Washington was ranked #17 in both Coaches & AP's Top-25 Polls, w/Huskies RPI #18.  

Southern California's sudden climb back onto edge of bubble raises possibility of SC representing PAC-10 in NCAA Tournament; not as Conference 4th Team, yet as the zero-sum, de-facto replacement for fading UW.

    SC's 2-2 Top-25 Record is better than a great number of bubble tms (including UW, 1-3)

SC could essentially play their way onto bubble w/Remaining two gms
TALL-ORDER, AS TROJANS FINISH CONF SEASON IN STATE OF WASHINGTON

   SC (THU) at WAZZU
   SC (SAT) at WASH

SC could vault themselves further into collective National minds, (and most importantly, NCAA Committee Members) w/improbable sweep in State of Washington this weekend.  SC sweep would assure SC of at least a Tie for 3rd Place in PAC-10, and would place SC's final Regular Season Record at 19-12 (11-7 Conf).  

WASHINGTON's LOSS TONIGHT ....

Opened door a little more than the crack that existed after SC won 4th in a Row
Since it would enable Trojans to TIE WASHINGTON for 3rd
(In fact, equally Hot UCLA could set this stage also on Thu)
Bruins have everything to play for in Seattle
Attempting to stay tied w/AZ & Remain in hunt for Regular Season Title

A few significant, inescapable facts about 2010-11 Wash Tm
Continues to raise up & out from these scenarios...
(before I get too carried away MYSELF....)

WASH 2010-2011 HOME RECORD (was) 13-0 (6-0 PAC-10) **
WASH CONF HOME GAME / AVG MARGIN: +20.33
WASH CONF HOME GAME / AVG PPG: 92.1
(WENT TO PRESS BEFORE WAZZU BEAT WASH TONIGHT)
Washington, after 4-0 & 7-1 Conf Start
Quite possibly backed their way back onto and all the way off bubble w/a 4-5 (3-5 Conference) February slide.

NEVERTHELESS....
Both PAC-10's season-long, headliner marquee teams
ARIZONA & WASHINGTON
Appear to be a little shaky at the moment  
STILL TRULY Control their NCAA-Tourney Destiny
w/Home Gms to close Year
w/BOTH TEAMS (were) STILL UNBEATEN AT HOME in 2010-2011
________________

AZST road weekend in LA was largely overshadowed by Arizona's LA games.
UCLA & So Cal took care of business in each.

02/24 THURSDAY
UCLA at ARIZONA STATE

In foreseeable Bruin 'look-ahead' spot,
Devils jumped out to early 21-9 lead over UCLA in Pauley

At this point (9:31 of 1st Half)
BRUINS STEPPED ON DEVILS NECK
UCLA EXPLODED FOR 30-8 RUN to
Closing 2nd Quadrant of Game
Bruins forged 39-29 Halftime Lead & pulled away 2nd Half  

02/26 SATURDAY
ARIZONA STATE at SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Devils were no match for SC here
Trojans' 7-Man-Rotation & Proficient, Late Season, 'Second-Wind'
SC Suffocated Devils from the Tip
From the Under 16 Timeout at 12:07
SC squeezed out Devils w/27-9 Run to close 1st
To assume insurmountable 20-Pt Halftime Lead (38-18)

TROJANS' INEXPLICABLE LATE-SEASON SURGE ROLLS-ON

SO CAL 4-0 (S-U & ATS)
SC's 2-Week Turnaround
Reinforces Trojan reversal of 2 entrenched season-long trends
SC's PAC-10 THU 'Slump' (0-4 S-U & ATS thru 2/12)
Snapped last Sat in Palo Alto, now SC again winning big on Sat vs AZST

Devils' travelled to Play LA schools
Off just 2nd Conf Win, (1st since 1/1) 
Nevertheless, Devils' began a new Losing Streak
AZST's 0-2 (S-U & ATS) LA Weekend
Characterized by abject OFFENSIVE INEPTITUDE
Devils' arrived in LA as Dead-Last Conf Scoring Tm (62.6 PPG)
Yet AZST 2 Gms Scoring Total: 99 PTS 
w/benefit of advanced scouting
Bruins & Trojans stifled AZST HC Sendeck's altered late-season lineup
(2/19 AZST Started 3 Freshman vs Wazzu, a move that surprised Wazzu
& provided a springboard for Devs 71-69 upset of Wazzu

AZST SCORING DRAUGHTS:
10 MIN of 1st Half: AZST 2 PTS
(16:32 to 6:31)
MIDDLE ¾ (30 OF 40 GAME MIN)
SC HELD DEVILS TO 11 PTS in a 30:01 Min Span
16:32 First Half to 6:31
SC HELD AZST to JUST 4 PTS in 10+ Min Span

UCLA held Devils to 5 Pts in 10:29 Span
Ariz St's extended Mid-Gm droughts vs both Red-Hot Bruins & Trojans

(As it appeared to vs Cougs on 2/19)
Devils' zoomed out to 21-9 lead at UCLA
fell behind early vs SC
 
ARIZONA STATE

Devils' PAC-10's Weakest Offensive Tm (62.6 PPG)
Reached had some extreme scoring lows in LA Weekend Games:
ASU ZERO Double-Figure-Scorers vs UCLA Thursday
ASU 2-GMS:  99 TOTAL POINTS
ASU Two-Key Starter Injuries (Abbot & Kuksiks)
Starting 2 or 3 Freshman lately

ARIZONA

Cats still control their own destiny,
Though AZ squandered a 2-Gm Lead w/4 Gms to Play
Cats' have relinquished their expendable Gms

CALIFORNIA

Tremendous weekend in Oregon
STUNNING to look at how IDENTICAL Cal Wins were

1. DOWN 45-34 in EUGENE AT HALF (& 27-14)
OUTSCORED DUCKS 47-26 & WON 81-71

2. DOWN 44-38 in CORVALLIS AT HALF
OUTSCORED BEAVERS 49-32 & WON 87-76

STANFORD

Cardinal ended 4-Gm slide
Stanford came alive from behind the arch in Eugene
Stanford's critical 88-71 Win at Oregon
Kept Cardinal Post-Season hopes very much alive
Cardinal 'afterthought home gm Tuesday vs Seattle U
Could make all the difference for 14-14 Stanford's NIT Bid

OREGON

Ducks off-on Season is definitely back OFF
14-14 Oregon 0-2 Home Weekend was as unlikely as it was ill-timed
Ducks' Thursday Night Gm in Tempe
Essentially comprises all of Oregon's Postseasons aspirations

OREGON STATE

Beavers forgettable season is finished at Home
Even as "Runnin-Beavers" experiment continues
Oregon State season finale' in Tempe Saturday
Should be Beavers' legit shot at only Road Conf Win
& opportunity for Ore St to avoid dubious 20-Loss Plateau
HC Craig Robinson in intends to play youthful lineup the rest of the way

UCLA

Detailed Bruin Issues in our AZ at UCLA Writeup below.
High degree of difficultly still stands
Between Bruins and #1 Seed
In Next Months' Pacific Life PAC-10 Tournament at Staples Center

WASHINGTON & WASHINGTON STATE

Plenty to get to here on Monday